Earnshaw's Webdesk • Mar 3, 2016

The Best New Brands for March 2016

Looking for something special? Try luxe layette or trendy tees.

: After a successful start in England, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, children’s fashion brand Benedita landed stateside at the January edition of Children’s Club. The label was founded in late 2014 by a collective of Portuguese designers and artisans with the vision of offering a collection of classic, high-quality garments and accessories for newborns up to 10 years. The ultimate goal, says Founder Catarina Pinto Castro, is to provide little ones with a dash of pride via stylish duds. “Feeling loved and pretty everyday builds up children’s confidence,” she explains. “And that will hopefully stay with them forever.” Fittingly, Benedita’s timeless silhouettes—think overalls, rompers and button-downs for boys and pinafores and cardigans for girls—are rendered in luxurious fabrics, from tweed to velvet. Wholesale prices range from $15 to $70. For FW ’16, special touches include plaid prints, dainty collars and playful ruffles. www.benedita.co.uk

: Are your customers ready to ditch winter and soak up the sun? Help them do it safely with Mott50. Former roommates (and sun-loving ladies) Anne Reilly and Monique Hypes launched the protective swimwear line in 2011, offering fashionable styles for women, after learning that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer over a lifetime. Now available for kids ages newborn to 12 years, Mott50 provides soft, breathable, lightweight garments certified with a UPF of 50—and with no added chemicals. The brand’s Resort ’16 collection includes rashguards, cover-ups, sundresses and accessories (from sunhats to baby blankets), featuring beach-friendly graphics such as anchors, flamingos, palm trees and sharks. Wholesale prices range from $14 to $26. www.mott50.com

: It’s not easy being green—but it’s certainly worth it, according to Beru Kids Founder Sofia Melograno. The brand exclusively sources deadstock materials while manufacturing out of a local factory in Los Angeles. In addition to its eco-friendly ethos, Melograno also donates 10 percent of the brand’s profits to organizations with a focus on children’s education and activities in East Africa. The first collection debuted at NY NOW in January, filled with vibrant textiles inspired by sub-Saharan Africa, saturated hues and casual silhouettes, like lightweight dresses made from challis fabric and comfy fleece hoodies. For FW ‘16, Beru Kids will treat tots to a season at the circus. Playful harem pants, hoodies, coats and loose-fitting dresses feature geometric prints as well as the occasional pop of leopard. Available for boys and girls ages 1 to 7 years, wholesale prices for the collection range from $20 to $60. www.berukids.com

: “There came a turning point in my life where I couldn’t sleep at night,” explains Adrian Layne. “I was using leather to make infant footwear, and I am vegetarian.” Layne knew it was time to reevaluate her start-up kids’ brand Cuddlestar—and re-launch with a new 100-percent certified organic, sustainable and ethically-made layette line, dubbed Cat & Dogma. Appropriately, the FW ’16 collection features everything from maps of the world (a homage to the planet) to “I love you” written in seven different languages. Natural fabrics are enlivened with pops of color, made using GOTS-certified dyes and prints. “We even make our clothing generous in the booty for those eco-minded families using cloth diapers,” Layne says. Cat & Dogma made its debut at NY NOW in January, offering styles for infants’ ages newborn to 24 months and wholesales from $12 to $18. www.catanddogma.com

: With VIP customers and a storefront in New York City’s trendy Tribeca neighborhood, Livly’s signature coats, dresses and cashmere-blended cardigans have already racked up an impressive following. (Founder Lisa Carrol even created custom outfits for the flower girls and pageboys at Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill’s royal wedding in June 2013.) Carrol officially launched the brand in Sweden in 2011—looking to create a Peruvian pima cotton layette collection suited for the delicate skin of her premature twin daughters, Liv and Lilly. Now available wholesale in the U.S., prices range from $12 to $250 for pieces spanning hand-knit rattles to leather jackets. The new fall collection features a “to the moon and back” motif topped off with whimsical touches—from illustrated castles to the brand’s signature bunny holding a balloon—in a blue, green, dusty pink and khaki color palette. www.livlyclothing.com.

: With fans like LeBron James and George Clooney, men’s label Jacks & Jokers is ready to up the ante. Up next? A kids’ collection chock full of the brand’s hip, witty graphics. (The brand’s name and designs are derived from Bicycle Playing Cards’ historic art and iconic imagery.) Comfy long-sleeve tees feature cheeky sayings like “Vacation Wanted” and sport scenes from Cali-cool destinations like Malibu. In addition to its U.S.A.-made cotton tees, the line offers a range of hoodies, pull-overs, T-shirts and sweatpants in super-soft washed-down fleece. The unisex styles range from size 2 to 14 and sport a surf-inspired color palette—shades of blue with pops of orange and green. Wholesale prices range from $18 to $30. www.jacksandjokers.com

: Leave it to a German brand to marry precise tailoring with function and versatility—and a requisite dose of style. Tom Tailor, a German lifestyle staple since 1962, made its American debut at Project LV in August 2015. The kids’ collection is available for newborn to size 14, and includes three lines: Tom Tailor Babies, Tom Tailor Minis and Tom Tailor Kids. Look for classics like T-shirts, hoodies, parkas, button-downs and puffer vests, as well as on-trend pieces, like 70s-inspired flared denims for girls and graphic tees depicting scenes from New York City and California for boys. Wholesale prices range from $8 to $95. www.tom-tailor.eu.

: Okabe Teeny Founder Canea Jones received a pretty impressive nod to her fashion bona fides, when her kimono-inspired sleepwear design received mention in The New York Times style section. But the Fashion Institute of Technology grad went on to pursue her passion for childrenswear instead—with a collection of glamorous dresses for girls. Made using faux fur, silks, sequins and crinkle chiffon, the collection’s silhouettes range from traditional A-line to sheath. Flashes of metallic are complemented by rich tones of royal purple and warm neutrals like cream and black. Okabe Teeny debuted at Children’s Club in October, with sizes ranging from 6 months to 5T and wholesale prices from $15 to $25. www.bzholla.wix.com/okabeteeny

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